


How Did We End Up Here

by JustLindsay



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barson, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Like it ended up being real fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-17 02:04:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14823125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustLindsay/pseuds/JustLindsay
Summary: A goodbye and a kiss on the forehead, but what comes next?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just something I thought I'd try out, it will probably be two or three chapters.

That forehead kiss, she couldn’t stand the thought of it. After she was finally able to get her mind working and feet moving she went back to her day as normally as she could. But she kept rubbing at her forehead in the exact spot he had pressed his lips. She is sure that at this point all the makeup that had been there in the morning has since disappeared. 

Olivia is furious with Rafael. How dare he just say what he said, kiss her on the forehead and walk away. Bastard she thinks pulling her keys from her jacket pocket. 

Liv has made the decision to hold onto her anger for now, no matter how unhealthy it may be. She isn’t prepared to think about the feelings the anger is actually masking. Not with him gone. At the thought Olivia chokes on a sob. Rafael Barba is gone. He has said his goodbye and it apparently doesn’t matter to him that she didn’t say hers. 

Making the decision to shower the moment Noah is asleep she will hold her tears in until then. The water can drown out the sound of them, along with the feeling of them slipping down her face.

Mumbling angrily to herself Liv tries to reign in her emotions as her heels click down the hallway to her front door. She is pulled up short as the soles of some well worn oxfords meet her eyes. Following the path from the bottom of the shoes to the face of the person occupying them she feels all her anger return full force.

“Get out of my sight.” Olivia grits out between clenched teeth.

It seems as though the decision to be angry has very much settled in her and not even the sight of the source of her anger could quiet it.

Pushing hastily to his feet Rafael’s mouth opens and closes time and again. Seeming to find his train of thought he pushes some syllables out to occupy the space between them, “Olivia,” Well four syllables was better than nothing.

“If you want to move on so badly Rafael I need you to just do it already and get out of my life.” She was cursing herself as the tears she planned to save for the privacy of her shower leak out now.

“Please Olivia, I made a mistake. Please,” he sounds pathetic really.

“I love you,” apparently her mouth has disconnected itself from her brain and instead connected to her heart because that’s certainly not what she intended to say to him.

He seems confused by her too, “I love you too Olivia, that’s the only thing I know right now. After I walked away from you on the street earlier I got as far as the end of the block until I couldn’t bring myself to take one more step. By the time I worked up the courage to turn around you were gone.” 

Her mouth opens but Rafael shakes his head and steps toward her. Olivia steps back to maintain their distance. “It’s not, I didn’t, I didn’t expect you to be waiting for me to figure out what a complete ass I was being. 

“I hurt you, not the other way around. But I knew I couldn’t step foot into your squad room, not anymore. So when you were gone I came here. I was outside the building pacing for about an hour before I let myself in. I couldn’t bring myself to go into the apartment though, I didn’t have that right anymore.” Both Olivia and Rafael can’t seem to catch their breath by the end of his speech.

She is still crying when it’s over, “I don’t know what you want me to say Rafa. You didn’t even let me say goodbye. You said your piece and didn’t give me a chance for mine. What’s it going to matter what I say now? You’re still leaving.” 

Rafael feels his eyes burn and his throat closing but he ignores his own discomfort to assure Olivia, “no Liv you don’t understand. I can’t move on from you, I have never been able to.

“I don’t know why I thought I could now. I was breaking and thought I could save us both by walking away but I simply would have crumbled.

“Please believe me when I tell you how sorry I am. I never want you to hurt, for any period of time, long or short. Please.” The strain in his final plea is too much and he can’t bare to utter anything else but sobbing breaths. His crying, unlike Olivia’s, breaks free from him like water from a dam. It is sudden, unrelenting, and powerful.

Liv feels panic take her for a moment. It’s still relatively early, so she ushers him to her door with a hand on his back. Before she places the keys in the lock she takes Rafael’s chin and her hand and begins to wipe away the tears as quickly as they fall.

“Rafa, I need you to breathe. Noah is still going to be awake. If you want to come in you’re welcome to but I don’t want Noah to worry.” There is a tenderness in Olivia’s gaze and her words, she isn’t trying make him feel bad, just letting him know what he is going to be walking into.

Taking a shaky breath in Rafael does his best to control himself, he leans his face into one of the hands Olivia has on his face. Nuzzling it like a child would, then, bringing his own hand to hers Rafael links their fingers together and leaves them against his cheek while he sorts his emotions out. 

Nodding sharply once Raf says, “okay I’m ready.”

When they enter the apartment Lucy looks between the pair and sees the intensity hanging around them. Seeing all she needs to in just one look she smiles and goes on as normal. Hearing the door open Noah comes bounding down the hallway the greet his mother only to divert his course upon seeing Rafael.

“Rafa!” The boy yells then launches himself at his legs.

But Rafael intercepts him and instead scoops him up into an embrace. He doesn’t let go, electing to shimmy out of his coat as best he can with his arms full.

“Hi Noh, como está?” Rafael greets.

Noah’s reply is enthusiastic, “muy bien now that you and Mama are home.” 

Rafael knows it’s not how Noah means it but he can’t help but think how true that is, he is home here.

Not setting the boy down until he absolutely has to, relishing in the soul and spirit he sees in Noah, Rafael feels all the emotions continue to bubble under the surface but tamps it down for Noah’s sake.

At bedtime Rafael is the one to read Noah his bedtime story, which of course turns into two stories. He stops it there knowing Olivia doesn’t want Noah to be kept up.

Returning to the main part of the apartment Rafa’s eyes scan the rooms looking for Liv. He finds her in the living room, reading, and likely waiting for him to come to her. Rafael is struck by two overwhelming and entirely conflicting feelings as he observes Olivia. He wants to run, hide and never face the world again. But more than that he wants to hold onto this woman, and that boy, and never let go. This feeling wins out, it was always going to, Rafael could never deny Olivia something, anything. She loves him and if that’s all he has right now he thinks it is more than enough.

Approaching the couch Rafael clears his throat gently so he won’t startle her and begins talking, “I meant what I said in the hallway, I love you, so much, and it’s all I know, all I’m sure of right now.” A long breath billows out his cheeks as it leaves his mouth, “I don’t have anything to give you right now, it’s part of what made me want to walk away.” Olivia hasn’t moved until now, her head drops sideways and her stare becomes more intense, “you deserve better than me Liv. I’m nothing, not right now.”

As he was speaking Rafael moved himself so he was positioned directly across Olivia’s place on the couch, sitting on her coffee table.

Liv puts her book off to the side, not caring that it closes and she had no marker. Placing her feet on the floor, and her elbows on her knees she stoops low so she can meet the eyes Rafael has dropped to look at the floor.

Upon catching his gaze Liv speaks, “you’re not nothing Rafa, there is so much more to you than ADA Barba. Maybe you don’t see it, but I do. I taught you how to see color, now I will teach you how to see yourself.”

It’s all she feels she needs to say, as the last word leaves her mouth Olivia takes Rafael’s face in her hands and looks at him long and hard, finally speaking again, “today has been long and exhausted and I just want to go to bed okay?”

He seems to think she must be dismissing him.Rafael nods and stands, “um, yeah, sure. I guess, I don’t know…” The hesitation in his voice carries over to his body language and it breaks Olivia’s heart.

“Rafa come to bed with me, I don’t want you away from me anytime soon, I’m not letting you go anywhere.” Liv takes one of his hands and drags him back to her bedroom. “Get comfortable and get in.” Olivia demands.

Finally he smiles, and lets out a small chuckle, “whatever you say Liv.”

Without ceremony Olivia removes her clothing until she is down to her bra and underwear, moving to her dresser she withdraws a NYPD shirt that’s old and faded. As she unfolds it to put it on she notices the lack of movement from Rafael.

Rolling her eyes Liv says, “we already admitted our feelings Raf, I do plan on having sex with you at some point in the very near future, now hurry up and get underdressed.”

Dumbfounded Rafael can only follow her instructions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got hung up on a couple parts otherwise I would have had this to you all sooner. There will be one more part to this before it's over.

When Rafael opened his eyes the next morning there were a few gripping moments where all he could think of was how his life was over, there’s nothing for him. Then, turning on his side, he sees the reason for moving on, Olivia is his everything in this world right now. Everything has been stripped away from him, except for her, they held tight to each other. Rafael knows how much of a fool he had been yesterday trying to walk away, destroying himself to save her. In reality he would have destroyed them both.

Not wanting to disturb Olivia, but unable to resist touching her, Rafael brushes her hair away from her face and strokes her cheek. Almost as soon as his skin touches hers she stirs. Blinking Olivia opens her eyes and meets Rafael’s.

“I never thought I would get to see you like this, untouched by the day, head still on your pillow and beautiful as ever.” Rafael’s fingers move like a gentle breeze through Olivia’s hair. “I love you Olivia.”

Liv’s smile stretches wider, showing off her teeth. Grasping the hand Raf has in her hair still Liv kisses his palm then the inside of his wrist up his arm, to his chest and shoulder, his neck, and to his cheek before stopping. Olivia doesn’t pull back, her lips rest at his cheek and the stubble that has grown there tickles her lips as he smiles.

“Olivia Benson are you going to kiss me,” there is actual joy in his words.

Still she doesn’t pull away, breathing her words over his cheek, “no, I’m not Rafael Barba.” Olivia presses her lips down three times in quick succession, before rubbing her nose along his cheek bone over to his ear, “I’m going to brush my teeth, and so are you, and then I’m going to kiss you, again, and again,” kissing by his ear Liv continues, “and again, and again.”

Once Olivia finishes her teasing she curls her head onto his neck and laughs when Rafael takes her hips and wrenches her to him. Raf rolls onto his back so Olivia lays on top of him before rolling again so he is over her and they have reached the edge of the bed.

“Let’s go then,” he tucks her hair behind her ear and stands up to offer Liv his hand.

Neither Liv or Rafa can remember ever having brushed their teeth so enthusiastically. When he finishes Rafael proudly displays his pearly whites to Olivia. The only way she can think of to react is to grab a handful of his shirt and yank him into her and kiss him fiercely. 

Rafael can only moan “Olivia” into her mouth before focusing all his effort into the kiss they are engaged in. Stepping into her body more Rafael traps Olivia against the sink and lifts her onto the edge, she giggles into his mouth. It doesn’t stop him. He continues to kiss her as she smiles, he peppers a series of kisses along Liv’s bottom lip to the corner of her mouth.

Arms flung around his shoulders Olivia swoons, her head drops back and she leans away, perilously close to sliding into the bowl of the sink.

He rests his forehead on the fabric covering Olivia’s shoulder, with hot breath wafting through the material Rafael speaks, “things aren’t going to be easy Liv. I love you and I love Noah. I don’t know what my future holds, I can’t picture anything in it but the two of you. How did I get here Liv?”

Tipping his head up with a finger under his chin Olivia answers him, “every decision we have ever made brought us here. And you know what? Things may not feel good. Things may not feel like they will be okay again. But Noah and I see you in our future too and if that’s all we have right now I think we can find a way to be happy together.”

Bumping his forehead to Liv’s Rafael lets out a heavy sigh, “I will do whatever it takes to give you happiness.”

Running a thumb under his eye Olivia nods, “I know.”

Leaning into her hand, “I don’t know what to do right now, I don’t think there has ever been a time in my life that I didn’t have a plan.”

“I know.” She repeats.

“Where am I going to go from here?” He pleads for some sort of direction in what now feels like a directionless life Rafael is going to be taking part in from now on.

“Stay here, that’s where you’ll go. You don’t have to know everything right away Rafael, but I want you close by while you figure it out.” Olivia rests the palm of her hands on either side of his neck, she can feel his pulse, strong and even, and takes comfort in it.

“But, what if I’m not good at anything else? What if I just become a reclusive old man?” The position of Olivia’s hands doesn’t allow Rafael much range of motion so he decides to just swallow his anxiety and look her in the eyes.

Liv pulls him into her shoulder once again, “first of all: I’m older than you so watch it.” It gets Rafael to snort in a kind of laugh, and that’s enough for now. “Second of all, of course you are good at other things, not the least of which helping others, there’s the way you care for Noah, and the way you kiss,” a deep rumbling chuckle moves through his chest and into Olivia’s body.

Taking a step away Rafael brings his lips back to Olivia’s, proving her point.

Pushing at his shoulders Olivia looks thoroughly satisfied and licks her lips, “I’m serious Rafa, stay here with us. We will figure it out all together. Take some time for now, for yourself, take time away from the world to heal and put everything back together. Then go from there.”

“I feel so guilty that I somehow ended up here, with you, after everything.” Rafael admits.

“Help me with Noah, that will be your penance.” Liv runs her nails through the hair at the nape of his neck as she is speaking to him.

Raf looks like her words sting him and he flinches but his response tells her otherwise, “like a nanny?”

Nodding she carries things along, “or a stay at home dad.”

Raf’s eyes widen and Olivia seems to recognize what she just said, “uh, I didn’t mean,” blowing out a breath that ruffles her hair, “I’m not assuming that just because we’re together now that’s what you want to be.

But Rafael is smiling a bit and it calms Liv’s nerves, “why don’t we let Noah decide that one?”

“I can live with that.” Liv says. And then, “thank you for not running away.”

“Thank you for giving me a reason not to.”

*

“Rafael, please, just let me put it into my phone, we will get there so much faster.” Olivia offers for the third time.

“Dad por favor, we have been trying to find this place forever!!” Rafael hates how much his son son sounds like a teenager, wishes he would stop growing.

“We are almost there I’m sure of it,” Rafael doesn’t sound sure of it and Olivia and Noah suspect he has no idea where he is.

“Rafa honey, this looks like a neighborhood will you just tell us where we are going already?” Olivia allows the frustration to be heard clearly in her voice.

“No,” Rafael growls not even attempting to hide his frustration with his family. “It is just around the corner.”

Noah, now sixteen, throws himself back against his seat. Then taking in his surroundings more carefully he leans forward to peek between his parents seats, “wait, we’re near Abuelita’s old school.”

Rafael doesn’t react, which is all the answer Noah needs. Olivia looks at Rafael, then to Noah, and back again.

Twisting her torso to face Rafael more she asks, “is that where you’re taking us? Why are we going there? What’s going on?”

Still no reaction from Rafael which irritates Liv to no end but seems to be very pleasing to Noah.

Olivia pouts for a minute or two and then questions her husband further, “how did we end up here? You took us the craziest route.” 

This time Rafael does react, but only with a very self satisfied smirk. Olivia smacks him in the chest, he snatches her hand with reflexes that surprise Olivia, “oy, driving here.”

“Papí creo que está perdiendo su toque. ¿No se supone que una inspector?” Noah mock whispers in a conspiratorial tone. (Papí I think she’s losing her touch. Isn’t she supposed to be a detective?)

“Se bueno con tu madre, después de todo, no ha practicado desde hace años.” Comes Rafael’s reply. (Be nice to your mother, after all, she hasn’t been one in years.)

Glaring Olivia tells them, “niños, entiendo que.”After a beat Olivia clarifies herself, “mostly,” for this she has to switch back to English. (Boys, I can understand you.)

In practiced unison Rafael and Noah both say, “lo siento Mamí.”

Around the next turn Noah sighs his relief, “finally.” Thinking about his response harder he sends the back of Rafael’s head a dirty look, “thanks Dad, I’m actually happy to see a school, do you see what you’ve done to me?” 

“Objection your honor,” Rafael looks to Olivia, “please remind Mr. Barba sarcasm is a weapon of the weak.” He puts quite a bit of emphasis on the final ‘k’.

Olivia laughs but Noah doesn’t seem to get it, “you guys are so weird.”

Turning to look at her son Olivia smiles brightly, “yup, that’s us, your weirdo parents.”

Noah can only roll his eyes before exiting the car. With a wave of his hand Noah indicates the school building and turns to his father, squinting at the sunlight, “okay weirdo number two, why are we here?”

Tilting his head to one side Rafael ignores the question in favor of asking his own, “why am I weirdo number two?”

“Really?” Olivia butts in.

Rolling his eyes again, “no se, sea mayor.” (I don’t know, she’s older.)

“Hey!” Olivia objects.

Noah shrugs.

Rafael takes their hands.

Dragging them along he brings them to entrance of the library building, and with spirit fingers and a ‘ta-da’, reads them the newly added name, “The Lucia Barba Library, they finally finished renovating.”

Jaw dropping Liv swivels to face her husband, “Rafi, baby, they don’t just name these things last minute, how long have you known about this?”

Blushing Rafael kicks at the gravel, “well they told me about it around the same time they offered me a job.” His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his slacks, only his forearms are visible between the material of his pockets and his rolled shirtsleeves.

It is comical the way both Olivia and Noah react in exactly the same manner. Both gape at Rafael with dumbfounded expressions, arms hanging loosely at their sides, before both nearly shout, “what!?”

“I was offered the Director position, to start mid-July if I were to accept. They reasoned that with my upbringing, further education, the writing and advocacy I’ve done for the main demographic of students who attend I make a perfect candidate for the job. And, of course, Mamí.” His eyes flit between Liv’s and Noah’s the entire time he is speaking. 

It’s been five years since Lucia’s passing but each member of the family still feels the loss deeply.

Olivia is the first to wrangle her thoughts into a coherent string of words, “did you say ‘if I were to accept’? Does that mean you haven’t yet? Rafa when did they ask you about this?”

“Yeah Dad,” Noah seems hurt, “you used to ask what I thought about all your big decisions.” Digging a toe into the ground beneath him Noah can’t meet his father's eyes, “but I know I’m not that much help with this stuff anyway.”

Rafael was not expecting this sort of reaction, “whoa, okay,” turning to Liv, “I haven’t accepted yet, they called me three weeks ago, the name of the building was already set in stone, so to speak.” Rafael seems pleased by his ‘joke’, Olivia does not. “Anyway, I asked if I could give them my decision after this was finished and after I had a chance to talk to you about it.”

Rafael steps to Noah and bends down a bit, though Noah is quickly growing taller and will soon be taller than both he and Olivia, “hijo you’re a huge help, especially with stuff like this. You see things in a way I’ve never been able to and I need that.”

Stepping away once more he takes them both in, “I wanted to surprise you both with all of this, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Olivia puts a reassuring hand on Noah’s shoulder and they hold eye contact for a couple of moments before looking at Rafael, together they say, “we hate surprises.”

Noah is the first to move, “this is amazing Papí, abuelita would have been so honored. Not that she’d admit to it though.” 

Laughing Rafael pulls Noah into his side, “you’re not wrong about that.” Craning his neck Raf rests his chin in the hair at the top of Noah’s head, “so, what do you think? Should I take the job?”

Pulling away Noah gives Raf a look like he’s crazy, “¡Claro!” (of course!)

With the heel of hand beneath his chin and fingers and thumb on either side of his lips Olivia pulls him in for a kiss.

“Mamí do you mind? I’m right here!” Noah cuts into their moment.

Keeping her face in very close proximity to Rafael’s but turning to Noah Liv retorts, “oh I’m sorry did you want a kiss too?” Without waiting for any answer Olivia presses kiss after kiss to Noah’s cheeks.

“Dad! Get your wife under control!” Noah peeps out between bursts of laughter.

“Oh yes because she always does everything I tell her to.” Rafael puts his arms around wife and son and squeezes.

Liv finally stops her assault on her son’s cheeks and straightens back to Raf’s side, “you’re going to take the job right?”

“Well I was waiting to talk to you two to make my decision but it sounds like you’ve made it for me.” And he’s right, they had, but Rafael knows he can trust their instincts, they have never led him astray so far. That’s how he ended up here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until next chapter!  
> xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last part for this story. There are continuous time jumps throughout the chapter, hopefully it's isn't too jarring, I couldn't decide if I wanted to clearly separate them with breaks or not.

“Well, Class of ‘28, we finally made it. I know sometimes it felt like it was never going to happen, but I think it’s been worth it. We’ve done a lot to get to this point: studying, homework, making friends, sometimes losing them, fallen in love, had our hearts broken, laughed, and cried. We’ve made mistakes; some of them small, others big. But the world kept going on. And so did we, and today we continue to go on.” Noah addresses his fellow graduates.

Rafael looks to his wife who has her hands clenched together looking at Noah with nothing but pride on her face, “I can’t believe we are watching our boy graduate high school already.”

Without looking away from their son giving a speech as class valedictorian Olivia merely nods her head saying, “I know.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony Noah locates his parents, diploma in hand, “Mom! Dad! Over here!” He shouts to them in order to get their attention. 

Olivia rushes toward Noah enveloping him in a crushing hug, “I’m so proud of you baby! Congratulations.” She presses a kiss to his cheek before releasing him.

As Olivia steps away Rafael moves in, giving him a quick hug before clapping his hands to Noah’s cheeks, “you did great up there hijo, the speech was perfect.”

Noah blushes, somewhat bashful by his parents praise, though he is certainly deserving of it. Upon graduating Noah is the top of his class with a perfect GPA, acceptance into Harvard and Yale, and a decision to follow in his father’s footsteps and go off to Cambridge in the fall to begin his undergraduate studies as a Pre-Law major. Neither Olivia nor Rafael could be any more proud of Noah and all the hard work he put into his life. His aspiration was to become an adoption lawyer and work as an advocate for children in custody battles, along with those removed from their parents care due to strict ICE regulations.

Hands still on his son’s cheeks, Rafael meets his eyes, “you’re going to do amazing things mi sol.” 

Ducking his head for a moment before looking back up Noah utters a quiet, “thanks Dad, I couldn’t do it without you though.”

“That’s not true, but I appreciate it Noh,” Rafael takes a step away.

Pictures are taken and parties are had before Noah has a summer of carefree fun until the end of August when he and his parents drive a car full of Noah’s things on their way up north to Cambridge, MA.

It isn’t easy to let him go and drive home but eventually Olivia and Rafael watch their little boy slip from their grasp as a young adult. They see him as often as is possible and they soak in his presence.

It is half-way through Noah’s sophomore year that Olivia finally retires from the NYPD. She consults on cases and gives speeches here and there but the work load is nothing compared to her days as a detective and beyond. Now she is forced to face each day with an empty schedule, especially with Rafael still running his school. 

He convinces Olivia to help with an outreach program for at risk youth that he is piloting as an afterschool program. She jumps at the opportunity, but hangs in the background, nervous of how the kids would react to a former cop. Once the program becomes more established she begins more direct interaction with the children taken in by the program. 

Liv teaches them to navigate police officers and the system, acknowledges that there are obvious issues within the force, but tells them their best plan of action if they end up in any exchanges with cops. The program grows and builds and Rafael stops by when he can, very proud that his wife, in all her determination, was able to take something from his brain and make it a reality. 

Rafael works through the end of Noah’s undergraduate career. The school excels under his watch, though he will take no credit for this. 

Never one to simply sit behind a desk Rafael teaches some Spanish classes, just one block for the first few years at the school. The longer he is there the more hands on Rafael becomes, highly motivated to prove how worthy, and how smart these kids are, he implements a law class as part of the history curriculum, it quickly becomes a highly sought after class and students have to be turned away each year.

The year 2032 rolls around, and in May Noah graduates Harvard with his bachelor’s degree and a plan to sit for his LSAT in July, and a back-up planned for August just in case. Rafael assures Noah that won’t be necessary but Noah possesses his mother’s cautionary attitudes.

That fall Noah steps through the metaphorical gates of law school, three years after he is walking out for the final time. Cap and gown on and parents proudly by his side.

“I’m so happy for you hijo, I never doubted you for a second,” and it’s true Rafael never held any doubt that Noah was going to be anything short of extraordinary. “Te amo hijo.”

“Gracias Papí, también te amo. Y gracias por no rendirte jamás conmigo. Tú y Mamí son héroes, quiero que te sientas orgulloso.” Noah smiles at the man who has always been a fierce advocate for him and never treated him like anything less than his own flesh and blood. (Thank you Dad, I love you too. And thank you for never giving up on me. You and Mom are my heroes, I want to make you proud.)

Rafael is aging now, hair grey, face wrinkled, and the green of his eyes a bit duller than they had been but the life in him has not been phased by the aging body surrounding it. He is no less argumentative than ever, no less loving, certainly no less grumpy, and never has he been anything other than proud of seeing Noah grow up to be the man he is right now, standing before him.

“Oh Noah, I’ve always been proud of you, you know that.” Rafael has to reach up a bit to pull Noah into him by the shoulders for a long embrace. He hears Olivia laugh off to his side and sees her putting her phone away after undoubtedly snapping a picture of the pair of men who fill her world so completely. With one arm still wrapped around Noah he waves Olivia over with the other, “come here Mamí, join the celebration.”

Olivia swoops in to squish Noah and Rafael in her arms, joy flowing out of her.

Noah has a very serious girlfriend with whom he plans to settle down, in New York, much to his parents relief.

Liv and Rafa live in Queens now, in a nice house with a porch and a backyard. It is very well kept, inside and out, with Olivia maintaining a very beautiful garden and Rafael keeping order indoors. Eventually the sound of barefoot children running across hardwood floors fills the halls. They get a total of three grandchildren and couldn’t be happier.

Once the oldest of the grandkids begins to talk Liv and Rafa discuss what they would like to be called, and because Liv had nothing from her childhood to go on, they settle on Abuelita, and Abuelito. 

Noah, and Lupe, attempt to get their little boy to call his grandparents by these names, but it is just too hard for him.

When babysitting Rafa holds baby Benson, named in honor of his grandmother, in his arms and repeats Abuelito over and over in a bid to hear it said back. One day Benson manages, “Tito,” which settled in Rafael’s heart and that’s all he wants to be referred to by his grandchildren from then on.

Olivia takes a similar approach as Rafael and Benson deems her, “Aba.”

Eventually Rafa turns 85 and he and Liv sit side by side on their porch looking at nothing in particular while on the wooden swing hanging from overhead. Shifting slightly so she is able to rest her head on Rafa’s shoulder Liv accidentally tugs on the blanket.

“Mi amor, stop trying to steal all of the blankets,” Rafa chides.

Not relinquishing her spot Olivia grumbles back at him, “you are getting senile old man, I am not, nor have I ever stolen all the blankets. That would be your M.O. my dear.”

“That is categorically untrue,” Rafa bites back.

Liv pokes at his side to shush him. She had planned a small gathering with their family for dinner earlier in the day to celebrate him turning 85 years old, now it is just the two of them, quietly enjoying each other’s company.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re just picking a fight for fun,” accuses Olivia.

Rafael takes her hand in his and presses his lips to her knuckles, “squabbling with you when we are 85, it’s more than nice. This is the only place I would hope to end up at this age. I love you Liv. Y siempre te amaré por todos mis días.” (And I will always love you for all my days.)

Not moving from her spot Olivia clutches tighter to Rafael’s hand, “I know Rafa, I love you too, more than I can say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun with this one, and I won't lie I was smile like a goofball while I wrote this part. Maybe you smiled while you read it? One can hope.
> 
> xx

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Liv and Rafa, let's make sure they are all better!  
> x


End file.
